


Becoming a Bird

by RonaldRx



Series: ZsaszMask Week 2020 [2]
Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Blood and Injury, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Death, I can't think of anything sorry, IDK how to tag this tbh, M/M, Prompt Fic, Swearing, Tell me if I need to add any more tags, Uhm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27210154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonaldRx/pseuds/RonaldRx
Summary: Victor wakes up after the final showdown in the film - still at the Booby Trap - and his mind is racing and his body not responding very well.
Relationships: Roman Sionis/Victor Zsasz
Series: ZsaszMask Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1985006
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23





	Becoming a Bird

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!
> 
> Uhm, so. I didn't plan for it to be the way it turned out. At all. My idea was wholly different but when I sat down to write it, I started completely differnt already and decided to go with it. So, there's that.   
> Just know, that what you're about to read has hurt my own feelings.   
> Also, this morphed into a character/relationship study once again. Idk how I always do that but there we go. Hopefully, y'all don't get tired of it, lol. I just have too many pent up thoughts regarding these two fuckers. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!
> 
> \- Ronny

ZsaszMask Week Day II: R.I.P.

Victor slowly but surely opened his eyes and groaned. He was in pain. His body felt so heavy, he could barely keep his eyes open. His neck, his throat specifically, hurt. So did his abdomen.

What happened?

It was unusual for him to feel so much pain, no matter what beating he took. He had a high pain tolerance, one that never ceased to fascinate Roman immensely and shower Zsasz in praise, which he lapped up like a starving dog.

Yet, he felt the pain as clear as day. His entire body was a mass of throbbing and stabbing hurt. His upper body half - from shoulder to fingertips at least - even felt like a mix of complete numbness and underlying pain, extremely heavy and prickling. As if that half decided to fall asleep while he was lying there, unmoving. But no, that's not what it was. Was it? He couldn't even move his arms. His fingers twitched a little, as he tried to gain enough control over his hand to help push him up and roll over but it was no use.

Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the urge to cough. He couldn't do anything about it when he started coughing uncontrollably. He coughed, retched, heaved and spit out whatever he felt gather in his mouth. 

He turned his head as far as it would go to look what he coughed up.

Blood.

Fuck, was he really hurt that badly? Apparently so.

He needed to get up and get away. He needed to get to Roman, most importantly.

He wrecked his brain for what even happened. It was all a blur. Everything happened so fast and suddenly he blacked out and came to in the state he was in at this moment.

His mind was racing, trying to remember and piece everything together. He needed to know, so he could help Roman appropriately. He needed to know, so he could assess if he was even in a state to get away from here or if he was destined to die like this.

Wouldn't that be fucking hilarious?

The big bad guard dog of Roman Beauvais Sionis a.k.a. the Black Mask. Found dead in a mess of his own blood and overpowered by...

By who?

He groaned again as some bits and pieces of what happened came back to him in a rush. 

How pathetic! 

Was he really overpowered by these chicks? Roman's fucking little bird. And someone... the Crossbow Killer? And fucking Harley Quinn, of course. Fucking bitch. 

They must have caught him completely off-guard. Something like that didn't just happen to him any day. He wasn't weak. He wasn't easily overpowered, let alone beat, by anyone. Especially not fucking women!

At least he assumed the Crossbow Killer was also a woman but he couldn't know for sure. He blacked out after Harley stabbed him a dozen or so times with his own fucking tranquilizer dart. 

No wonder, that his arms and upper back felt the way they did. Also no surprise his throat hurt so badly and he coughed blood. The Crossbow-bitch shot him in the neck. He... She... missed, though, ever so slightly to at least keep him alive until now. But Roman's little bird made a point in not only stabbing him in the stomach but driving in the bow even further into his throat. 

As he remembered all of this, he heaved a sigh that was somewhere between annoyed and just plain tired. 

This whole situation was so fucking ridiculous. It didn't help that he could barely move at all. He really needed to find a way to get out of here. And if that didn't work he at least needed to contact Roman. He needed to warn him. 

Wasn't he already on his way here? 

Was he already here? 

He remembered telling Roman about the bird's betrayal. He said he would come to them. But he wasn't here. He hasn't found him, yet. 

Would he find him when all was over? 

It was so quiet. Apart from his own laboured breathing, he couldn't hear anything else. 

Sionis was a man who could be heard from miles away. So, he definitely wasn't here.

That was good, right? 

The only question left was how long he's been out for. How much time has passed since they managed to beat him? 

He couldn't tell. Even if he could reach his phone somewhere in his coat pockets, he wouldn't really be able to tell how much time has passed. 

Fuck.

What if... What if Roman had come here and something happened? What if that's why it was so quiet. Something really bad must have happened.

No. Roman wouldn't... He wouldn't let that happen. He probably came here packed with men. 

They just hadn't found him yet. Had assumed that he was somewhere else perhaps or that he could wait. The diamond was important. They probably got the girl and went back to the club. 

Yes, that seemed plausible enough. 

Only that it wasn't. 

Zsasz knew with such certainty that no matter what happened, Roman wouldn't just leave him there. He would have sent several people to look for him, if he wouldn't do it himself anyway, and stay there until he was found either dead or alive. 

Not even the diamond and his entire future were as important to him as his right-hand man, slash guard dog, slash best friend, slash partner. 

To people who didn't know Sionis very well, that would seem far-fetched and like Victor was just delirious. Roman didn't care for anyone but himself. He was narcissistic to a fault. 

And that was all true. Yet, Zsasz was special. So very special. Roman needed him. Depended on him. Without Victor by his side, none of this mattered anymore. Without him, it wouldn't even work out. 

Wasn't that unusual, though? 

People were so deceived by outer appearances that they didn't even dare to take a second look at what their power dynamic was actually like. What their relationship truly was. 

Often times, Victor wondered if Roman was truly aware of it himself. He guessed that he was at least subconsciously aware of it. That Zsasz was the one manipulating him into unleashing this big great beast within on poor innocent people that never stood a chance, if the situation called for it. That he was guiding him into certain directions and taking certain actions. 

Sometimes, like with his little bird, Roman would be aware and defy him. That was okay. Sure, he never trusted that bitch, for good reason apparently, but Sionis liked her enough and if he had done something to her or stirred Roman even further away from her, he probably would have lost some of the hard earned trust he's gained over the decade and a half. 

At the end of the day, that didn't matter. He was still the one who had more control over Sionis. He was someone who was actually important to him. Not just as an asset to show off and possess but a person to share his dreams and success with. 

Thinking about all of this wouldn't help his current situation, though. 

He tried moving his fingers again, managing to actually flex them a little. Slowly but surely, feeling started to come back to them. That was a good start. He kept flexing his fingers until he could ball his hands into fists. Then he clenched and unclenched them until he felt sure that he could really use his hands in any way, again. Heavy as they still appeared to be. That was to be expected with the blood loss and overall state of his being. 

His arms were next then. He flexed his muscles and lifted his arms until he could move them to his sides, hands flat on the floor, and pushed himself up. 

He was trembling and breathing heavily. It felt like he's never done any exercise in his entire life. 

Just a little bit more. 

Finally, he managed to heave himself up enough to be able to move his legs just so that he could sit up, even if seeming a little unsure at that, shaking the way he was. 

From there it was a little easier to support himself and turn around, so he could lean against the toppled over couch he was lying on before. 

His breaths were laboured and yet so deep, he was shaking and felt so fucking exhausted. So hurt. 

He was dying. There was no doubt. If Roman didn't magically show up within the next few minutes to get him some medical attention, he would be absolutely done for. That was for sure. 

Either way, he lifted one of his trembling arms to retrieve his phone from his pocket. He turned it on, the screen blinding him momentarily. 

When his eyes had adjusted to it enough so that he could actually see and read something, he was just met with his lock screen. 

No missed messages or calls from Roman.

He expected at least a dozen of each. 

Yet, there was zero. 

Despite everything he tried to convince himself of before, a nagging anxiety settled deep into his bones. His stomach turned. His heart rate picked up, despite rapidly beating since he's moved his position. 

This was more unusual than the eerie quietness surrounding him, even though Roman should have been present. This was driving home the fact that maybe, just maybe, something really did happen to him. That either he never made it here or that when he was here, something happened and he was... 

No. 

He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. He just couldn't be! 

Taking as deep of a breath as he could without uncontrollably coughing up more blood, Victor tried to calm his nerves. 

Then he looked at his phone again, turned it on, unlocked it and with trembling fingers, he opened the contacts. 

Roman was right on top. He tapped on it and hit the call button. 

It immediately clicked and informed him that the phone he was trying to reach was either turned off or not in use anymore. 

Victor's heart rate picked up once more. 

Maybe he didn't get to charge his phone before leaving and his battery was dead? 

Surely that was a possibility. 

Despite all evidence silently convincing him of the exact opposite. 

He threw his head back, clenched his eyes shut and let out a whining noise that sounded more like it was forcefully ripped from his throat. 

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. Roman was above it all. He was the only person, aside from himself, who deserved to live. 

Roman was only to die by Victor's own blade. Maybe just his hands even. It was far more personal after all. He's spent so much time thinking about the perfect death for him. The perfect way to free him from this dreadful existence after he'd achieved what he'd wanted for so long. 

But now... 

Victor couldn't have ever imagined Roman being killed by anyone but himself. It just wasn't right. It wasn't what was supposed to fucking happen! 

Then he heard him. 

Faintly at first but so unmistakably him. 

"Zsasz," he said lowly. Whispered it almost. 

It was so unlike him. 

He didn't dare open his eyes. He was probably just imagining it. His wounds and blood-loss finally getting to him and making him imagine Roman's voice whispering to him. Yeah, that was what it had to be. 

Then, more clearly, "Come on, Zsasz. Don't ignore me. You know how I hate to be ignored!" 

Zsasz took another deeper breath and forced himself to crack open his left eye. 

He didn't see anyone. Just the same fucking view he's had before closing his eyes. 

"Zsasz, I won't ask again!", he heard him bark at him. 

So, he opened his right eye, too. He felt so heavy and tired. His eyes almost fell shut immediately again. He couldn't possibly keep them open long enough to please Roman but he had to try. He couldn't afford to be bad, now. Not after he's already failed him that night. 

"There we go, baby," Roman praised. He could hear the grin in his voice. 

It was all so clear. Maybe he wasn't imagining it after all? 

But then where was Roman? He couldn't actually see him. 

Maybe if he moved his head to the side. 

He tried to move his head to one side, his neck stiff and hurting, dried blood cracking and pulling at his skin. 

Nothing. 

So, he repeated that movement to the other side. 

Still nothing. 

He opened his mouth to speak but no sound would come out. Just a hoarse exhale. 

Fuck. 

Did the bow sever or perhaps just block his vocal cords? 

He whined again, pathetically, in the back of his throat. It was a broken little sound. The only one he could really make. Try as he might, he couldn't get out any words. Nothing. 

"Victor, listen to me," Roman said, relieving him of his pitiful attempts at communicating with him beyond moving his eyes and head. "I have one last thing I want you to do for me."

Zsasz perked up a little. He tried to nod, to signal Roman that he was listening, that he was going to do whatever he asked of him. He would defy death for as long as he needed to do whatever Roman wanted him to do. 

"Let go," he commanded. 

He did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Once again, I hope you enjoyed it! Kudos and comments are much appreciated.
> 
> If you want to, you can come talk to me on:
> 
> Twitter: @RonaldRx_   
> and Tumblr: RonaldRx


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